Breaker mechanism for distributors



Jul 15 192 4. 1501,442-

' P. E. DEMMER BREAKER MECHANISM FOR DISTRIBUTORS Filed Sept. 4, 1923 IN VEN TOR. Paul E.Demmer Q .mbm

ATTORNEY California,

Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

RAUL E. DEMMER, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGD IOR- 510 D. & VJ. EPECIALTY COMPANY, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

BREAKER MECHANISM- FOR DISTRIBUTORS,

Application filed September 4,- 1923. Seriar No. 660,687.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL E. DEMMER, a. citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose,coimty of Santa Clara, State of have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breaker Mechanism for Distributors; and I do declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had, to the accompanying drawings, and to the charac ters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in the breaker mechanisms of timers or distributors such as are used in the systems of automobile and gas engines gen erally, and is particularly an improvement over that type of breaker mechanism shown my copending application for patent on t e Serial No. 622,281.

Both these breaker mechanism structures areparticularly intended for use in a timer for Ford engines, such as is shown in my copending application for patent on a timer, filed April 3rd, 1922, Serial No. 548,903.

This previous type of breaker mechanism wasdesigned to operate with the assumption that-the breaker-camshaft of the engine to which the timer was applied was concentric with the timer casing, asof coursev it should be, and under which conditions the functioning ofsaid breaker mechanism was all that could bedesired.

I discovered however, in installing my timer withthis previous breaker mechanism on difierent enginesof the above mentioned type, that the concentricity ofthe cam-shaft with the timer casing couldnot be depended on, and more frequently than not was eccentrically disposed, sometimes to the eX- tent o f -being l; inch or moreofi center.

Under these conditions, the breaker mechaniSm wasunsatisfactory and at times failed to function, since the breaker arms a were designed and fitted so as to besymmetrically disposed relative tothe center of the timer casing, and'could notadjust and ac commodate themselves so as to function when the cam wasany' noticeable degree ofi' center.

The principal object of my present inignition same, filedv March 2nd, 1923, under,

vention therefore is to eliminate the above. named defective operation due to defective engine construction, by constructing the breaker mechanism in such a manner that it may followup and aline itself with the cam-shaft regardless of the eccentricity of the latter relative to the casing in which the breaker mechanism is mounted.

At the same time, all advantageous features of construction inherent in the previous type, and which gave the excellent results when working under proper conditions, are retained in the present form of the structure.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effectivefor the purposes for which it isv designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear byaperusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views Fig. 1 is a front view of a distributor or timer, showing my improved breaker mechanism, with closed points, showing the actuating cam-shaft concentric relative to the timer-casing.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the device, the cam shaft being removed.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the cam shaft eccentrically located.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the distributor head or casing of circular form and of a size and general design to particularly adapt it for use on a Ford engine, the face-wall 2 of the casing having a central orifice 2 concentric with the casing, of suiiicient size to receive the camshaft 3 therethrough and also allow for all possible eccentricity of location of said shaft relative to the casing, the positionof the latter being fixed, mounted in and projecting outwardly from the wall. 2 adjacent the outer edge thereof and parallel 100 to the cam shaft is a fixed pin 4, on which is turnably mounted a rigid yoke 5, symmetrical on both sides of the pin,the outer ends of the yoke arms being parallel to each other and spaced apart a distance subitantially equal to the diameter of the on- 1 (3-6.

Rigidly fixed on the parallel ends of the yoke arms are flat spring strips 6 and 7, tending to move toward each other, the-latter strip being insulated from the yoke, as at 8. These springs extend parallel to each other until past the plane of the orifice 2 and are then bent symmetrically toward each other as at 9, terminating in parallel portions 10' somewhat close together. The springs lie parallel to but outwardly of the wall 2 somewhat, with their greatest width at right angles thereto.

hionnjed on the outer ends 10- of the springs 6 and 7, which take the place of the usual movable and fixed breaker arms, are contact points 11, one of which at least is relatively adjustable to its arm, any suitable adjustment means such as shown at 12., being used to accomplish this.

Fined on the inner faces of the members 6 and 7 are lugs 13 of fiber or some similar insulation material, disposed axially of the orifice 2*, and adapted to be intermittently engaged, to separate the points 11, by the high faces of a cam 14; of common character, mounted on the cam-shaft 3.

These lugs are disposed so as to be clear of the low faces of the cam when said faces pass by the lugs, and the points 11 will then of course remain in contact, due to the action of the springs.

It will be evident, by reason of the pivotal mounting of the breaker unit, that any off-center position of the contact-separating cam will have no appreciable effect on the proper breaking of the contacts, since the breaker unit is freeto swivel on its pivot,

and will follow up and automatically maintain a symmetrical position relative to the cam, as shown in Fig. 3, regardless of the setting of the latter relative to the casing.

The breaker arms are of course connected or interposed in the circuit of the distributor and ignition system. In the present instance the arm 6 is connected through the yoke, to the casing, which is itself in the circuit as usual. The arm 7 is connected by a wire 15 to a terminal piece 16, mounted on but insulated from the casing, said terminal piece being in turn connected to a condenser 17 mounted on the wall 2 and to a collecting ring 18 in the casing on the opposite face of the wall 2 andv insulated therefrom.

It is evident however that my breaker construction is not limited in its application to any specific construction of timer, and hence the particular parts to which the breaker mechanism is electrically connected would depend on the specific construction of the distributor, which forms no part of the present invention.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that i have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention asset forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. p

Having thus described my invention what I claim as nen and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. it breaker mechanism for distributors including a pair of spaced arms having cooperating contacts at one'end, said arms being arranged to receive a camtherebetween designed to spread them apart simultaneously, and means for mounting said arms on the casing of the distributor in a manner to enable them to maintain the same po' sition relative to the cam at all times irrespective of the concentricity of the axis of the cam relative to that of the casing.

2. A breaker mechanism for distributors including a pair-of spaced arms having cooperating contacts at one end, said arms being arranged to receive a cam therebetween designed to spread them apart simultaneously, a yoke to which the arms are attached, and a pivot for mounting the yoke to one side of the cam and parallel to the axis of the latter.

t. A breaker mechanism for distributors comprising a yoke, a pivot for the yoke mounted on the distributor casing, the yoke being symmetrically disposed on both sides of its pivot, and spring arms having cooperating contacts at their outer ends attached to the opposite ends of the yoke, said arms tending to move toward each other and being arranged to receive a cam therebetween, said cain being designed to spread the arms apart simultaneously,

5. A breaker mechanism for distributors having a'casing, including a pair of spaced arms adapted to be pivoted in common on the casing, cooperating contacts on the outer ends of the arms, and spring means acting to hold said contacts together.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

' PAUL E. DEMMER. 

